New York Red Bulls ink 17-year-old Ben Mines to Homegrown Player contract

The New York Red Bulls have signed midfielder Ben Mines to an MLS Homegrown Player contract, making the Connecticut native the eighth Homegrown signing on the current roster.

The 17-year-old Mines joined the Red Bulls Academy as an under-14 player, and has made 16 USL appearances with Red Bulls II since August of 2016, scoring twice.

“We are excited to welcome Ben,” Red Bulls Sporting Director Denis Hamlet said in a club statement. “We have had the opportunity to have Ben around our professional teams for USL games and trainings. There is a lot of familiarity on both sides and we are glad to add another talent from the Red Bulls Academy to our professional team."

Through the first half of the 2017/18 academy season, Mines made 11 appearances for the U18/19s, scored seven goals and adding eight assists. He also won the Golden Boot at the 2017 Generation adidas Cup, when the Red Bulls finished third overall in the Champions Division.

"It’s an amazing feeling,” Mines said in a statement. “I’ve been playing here for four years. I love this club and it’s a dream come true for me. I just want to keep developing as a player and potentially make my debut for the first team, and give my all to the club.”

The New York Red Bulls led Major League Soccer in 2017 in league minutes from Homegrown players, with 7,810.